Security continued to fluctuate in Iraq. The third week of July was one of those down weeks as Musings On Iraq recorded the fewest weekly security incidents ever.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Security In Iraq July 22-28, 2018
Security continued to fluctuate in Iraq. The third week of July was one of those down weeks as Musings On Iraq recorded the fewest weekly security incidents ever.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 31
1924 MP Chalabi rejected quotas in new parliament for
minorities claiming
everyone
would be represented
1928 Red Line Agreement allowed British Dutch French US
Turkish oil companies to
jointly control Turkish Petroleum
Company would lead to Iraq Petroleum Company
1982 Iraq claimed it crushed Iranian Op Ramadan to seize
Basra
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
1983 Iraqi army took 8,000 men from Barzani clan and
executed them
1990 King Fahd and Pres Mubarak tried to mediate between
Iraq and Kuwait Kuwit emir
told his representative to not give
into any Iraqi demands at meeting in Saudi Arabia between 2 nations
1990 AsstSecState Kelly told House US had no defense treaty
with Gulf States and
didn’t take position on border
disputes or OPEC Said US would be concerned if Iraq invaded Kuwait but had no
treaties with it
1990 Pentagon said it was committed to individual and
collective defense of its allies in
the Gulf
2002 Iraq Foreign Minister Sabri said Bagdhad rejected
return of UN inspectors Said
they would
just collect intel for U.S. strikes
(Musings
On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)
2002 Bush said US goal was regime change but denied any war
plans were on his desk
2002 Senate Foreign Relations Comm began hearing on Iraq
invasion
2002 Rumsfeld told Senate Comm time helped Saddam erode
sanctions and spread
terrorism
2002 NSA had drill on Iraq Found it had little signals intel
on country
2002 Report Iraq working on nuclear program quoted fmr UN
inspector Kay and INC
defectors
Hamza and Haideri May 02 Haideri labeled fabricator by DIA
2002 INC defector ex-nuke scientist Hamza testified to
Senate Foreign Relations
Comm claiming
Iraq only lacked uranium to build nuke bomb in 1994
2002 Iraq conspiracy theorist Mylroie interviewed on CNN
Said Bush was going to
invade Iraq because of WMD and its
ties to terrorism including 9/11 Accused CIA of covering up Iraq’s involvement in
9/11
(Musings
On Iraq article on Mylroie’s Iraq conspiracy theories)
2003 Sadr announced 10,000 man Islamic army being formed in
Najaf
2003 Report several Iraqi scientists interviewed by US said
Saddam had not restarted
its nuclear
or WMD programs
2003 National Sec Adv Rice said international intel agencies
all agreed with US that Iraq
had WMD US
would prove right that Saddam was threat to world
2003 Iraq Survey Group head Kay testified to Senate
2003 US forces found Iraqi jets buried at Taqadum airbase
west of Baghdad Helped
explain why
Iraqi air force didn't fight during invasion
(Musings
On Iraq article on why Iraqi air force didn’t fight during 2003 invasion)
2004 US arrested Sadrist Sheikh Hasnawi in Karbala Mahdi
Army kidnapped police
in Najaf in
response
2006 Displacement Min said 182,1854 had been displaced since
Askari shrine bombing
in Feb 2006
2006 Police in 15 SUVs kidnapped 25 people from Iraqi
American Chamber of
Commerce and Rawi telephone company
in central Baghdad Never seen again
2008 Police raided Sahwa officer in Kut arrested 3 Sahwa that
formed political party 2
months
before provincial elections
(Musings
On Iraq article on govt crackdown on Sahwa)
2008 US and Iraq missed deadline to sign Status of Forces
Agreement with Iraq (SOFA)
US wanted
residual military force to stay in Iraq after official withdrawal
(Musings
On Iraq article on missed deadline)
2012 France’s Total signed contracts for two oil blocks in
KRG
2015 Protest in Baghdad Basra Najaf over lack of electricity
Called for Electricity Min
to step down
View the Iraq History Timelines
Monday, July 30, 2018
Growth In Education and Unrest In Iraq
Baghdad Univ
Education should be a gateway to more opportunities such as employment and higher wages. In Iraq however graduates face limited jobs, which is resulting in growing unrest as expressed by the annual summer protests. This has been an issue in the country for decades due to the expansion of schools and an oil dependent economy that has limited private enterprise.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 30
1920 War Min Churchill approved sending division to
Mesopotamia from India
to put down
1920 Revolt
(Musings
On Iraq article on Churchill’s views on Mesopotamia)
(Musings
On Iraq review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of
the Modern State)
1968 Pres Bakr accused Def Min Daud and PM Naif of
attempting to take over govt PM
Naif arrested and became Ambassador
to Morocco Baath then purged govt of opponents
1968 Pres Bakr became prime minister and commander and chief
of armed forces
consolidating his power Appointed
Saddam deputy secretary general of Baath Party
1983 Iran ended Op Wa al-Fajr 2 after seizing 14 km of
Kurdistan and capturing Hajj
Omran garrison
1983 Iran started Op Wa al-Fajr 3 to free Mehran, Iran
1988 Iran and Iraq started talks at UN for ceasefire
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
1990 Saddam offered to withdraw his troops from Iran and
settle Shatt al-Arab
differences
to prepare for Kuwait invasion
1990 DIA analyst told DIA Dir Soyster Iraq could overrun
Kuwait and northern Saudi
Arabia and US would have no warning
Said that Saddam was going to use force vs Kuwait and Kuwait would make no
concessions to Iraq
1990 DIA Dir Soyster disagreed with analyst about Iraq’s
intentions but passed
assessment
to SecDef Cheney and Gen Powell
1991 Iraq admitted to have four times as many chemical
munitions as it claimed before
to UN
weapons inspectors
1992 Iraqi forces surrounded Shiite rebels in southern
marshes and bombed them
1996 CIA report head of Iraq intel met bin Laden in Sudan
and provided bomb making
know how False report bin Laden
left Sudan May 96 and no reports he returned afterward
2002 Blair’s foreign policy adv Manning told Bush UK with US
against Iraq but had
to go
through UN
2002 UK attorney general Goldsmith told Blair without U.N.
resolution war against
Iraq
illegal
2002 Pres Chirac said that Germany and France would only
support an invasion of Iraq
if backed
by a UN resolution
2002 Fmr head UN inspector Ekeus said US manipulated 90s
inspections to spy on Iraqi
security services and find location
of Saddam Said US wanted to create crises to justify attacks on Iraq
(Musings
On Iraq article on how CIA used UN inspectors to spy and back coup in Iraq)
2003 Bush admitted Iraq-Africa uranium story should not have
been included in his
State of
Union speech
(Musings
On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
2003 Rice said Saddam was a threat and he had WMD Said Iraq
was buying all kinds of
equipment
for centrifuges including aluminum tubes
(Musings
On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)
2004 SecState Powell in Iraq said US worried about Iran’s
influence in southern Iraq
2008 U.S. forces officially withdrew troops from Iraqi
cities
2008 Sadr said he was leading a nationalist movement against
the US and needed to
restrain
abuses and violence of Mahdi Army
2015 Protests in Arbat and Darabandikhan, KRG and Nasiriya
over lack of services and
electricity
View the Iraq History Timelines
Sunday, July 29, 2018
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 29
1968 Baath had Def Min Daud visit Jordan so that party could
take control of
military while he was gone Daud
arrested when he arrived in Jordan Sent into exile as ambassador to Saudi
Arabia
1988 Mujahedeen e-Khalq forced to withdraw from 2 Iranian towns
ending hopes
of Iraq
backed revolt against Khomeini
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
1990 OPEC agreed to raise prices 20% that year under
pressure from Iraq that
wanted to
boost revenues to rebuild after Iran-Iraq War
1990 Mukhabarat had placed 30 agents at Kuwait oil fields
and Kuwait city to help
with
invasion
1991 Talabani said that without another major international
relief effort Kurds
would face
another disaster
2002 Blair’s foreign policy adv Manning told Rice UK with US
against Iraq but had
to go
through UN
2002 NYTimes article on Iraq war plans Mentioned Gen Franks
ideas for dealing with
defense of
Baghdad
(Musings
On Iraq article on how arguments over Iraq invasion were fought through
press leaks)
2003 US intel report Hezbollah attempted to reach out to
Sadr and his Mahdi Army
(Musings
On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)
2003 Report US held Iraqi detainees incommunicado and
without access to lawyers
2003 Saddam recording said his sons Uday and Qusay died as
martyrs for Iraq and US
would be
defeated
2008 Op Augurs of Prosperity in Diyala began ISF targeted
Sahwa in Baquba
(Musings
On Iraq article on Augurs of Prosperity op)
(Musings
On Iraq article on govt crackdown on Sahwa)
2013 ISI started new car bomb wave as part of Soldiers’
Harvest campaign
View the Iraq History Timelines
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Activists Focusing Upon Fridays For National Protests In Iraq
Protest in Maysan (Al Mirbad)
Activists are concentrating on Fridays for national protests in Iraq. On July 27, there were gatherings in Babil, Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, Karbala, Maysan, Muthanna, Najaf and Qadisiyah. Most met in front of provincial council buildings, sometimes in the hundreds. The movement was bolstered by a Friday sermon by Ayatollah Sistani’s representative that called for the government to meet public demands and to fight corruption. The demonstrators have expanded from asking for jobs, electricity, and services to demanding that many governors and councils be dismissed, and now calls for PM Abadi to step down as well.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 28
1920 US complained 2nd time to England about San
Remo agreement that
divided Iraq’s
oil between England and France
1982 Iran made 3rd attack on Basra city but failed again
Iran lost around 1,000 soldiers
per day
Iraq lost 7000 casualties
1982 During Iranian Op Ramadan
Ayatollah Baqir al-Hakim crossed into Iraq from Iran
Called
for uprising vs Saddam
1982 During peak of Op Ramadan
Iran held 120 sq mi of Iraqi territory By end only
had
32 sq mi
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
1990 Bush letter to Saddam asked him not to use force in region
and hoped for
continued good US-Iraq relations
Pentagon tried to block Bush note to Saddam fearing an Iraq invasion of Kuwait
1990 CIA briefed Bush warning that Iraq was going to invade
Kuwait
1996 Iranian Revolutionary Guard entered Kurdistan to fight
the Kurdistan Democratic
Party of Iran but also to support
the PUK against the KDP Guard went 40 miles into Kurdistan and stayed 72 hours
When withdrew left behind weapons for PUK
2002 Blair told Bush UK would be with US on Iraq but had to
consider difficulties
and work on
politics of war
2002 Wash Post article on Iraq war plans Said many in
military wanted containment of
Iraq
2003 Blair govt accused of crimes against humanity for Iraq
war in Greek court
2004 68 killed in suicide car bomb on police center Baquba
Diyala
2008 3 female suicide bombers hit Shiite pilgrims in
Baghdad’s Karrada 32 dead 100
wounded
(Musings
On Iraq article on female suicide bombing in Karrada)
2008 Suicide bomber attacked Kurds protesting provincial
election results in Kirkuk 24
killed Crowd burned down Turkmen
Front office and attacked Arab councilman’s house afterward
(Musings
On Iraq article on Kurdish protests and violence in Kirkuk)
View the Iraq History Timelines
Friday, July 27, 2018
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 27
1958 Provisional constitution gave Kurds recognition was
equal to Arabs
1959 Gen Qasim passed deal promising Arab-Kurdish
partnership after
talks with
Mullah Mustafa Barzani
1968 Communists issued demands to new Baath govt calling for
National Front
and
coalition govt
(Musings
On Iraq interview with Prof Franzen on History of the Iraqi Communist
Party)
1982 US official sent to Baghdad to share CIA satellite
imagery of Iranian troop movements
1983 Iraq announced it would increase attacks on Iran’s oil
facilities
1987 US asked Iraq to stop attacks on shipping in Persian
Gulf in hopes that Iran would
follow suit
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
1990 Congress voted to impose sanctions on Iraq for threats
against Kuwait Israel
nuke and
WMD programs and human rights violations White House opposed
1990 Israel Science Minister threatened retaliation with
chemical weapons if Iraq
attacked
(Musings
On Iraq article on Saddam’s motivation for threatening Israel before the
Kuwait invasion)
1993 Iran asked for aid for 4,000 Iraqi refugees that
entered country as southern
marshes
were drained
2003 DepSecDef Wolfowitz claimed that Iraq’s insurgency had
no support in Iraq or in
region
2003 Iraq Survey Group head Kay briefed Bush Cheney Rumsfeld
Wolfowitz Tenet
Rice Card on WMD hunt Said Iraq
probably only had surge capacity to quickly restart WMD programs but no stockpiles
Said trailers found were probably not mobile WMD labs Said Bush seemed unphased
by fact that no WMD found
(Musings
On Iraq article on mobile labs story)
2003 Kay separately briefed Chene who asked Kay to look into
whether Iraq sent its
WMD to
Syria or Bekka Valley Lebanon
2005 Saddam’s trial ended
2006 Iraq and UN announce International Compact to help
develop country
2006 UK Amb to Iraq Patey said that de facto division of
Iraq and civil war more likely
than
transition to democracy
2007 KDP and PUK renewed strategic power sharing agreement
2015 Protests in Nasiriya over lack of electricity and Rania
KRG over project being
stopped
that led to clash with police
View the Iraq History Timelines
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Review Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State
Kadhim, Abbas, Reclaiming
Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2012
The 1920 Revolt against the British in Iraq is a seminal
moment in the country’s history. Over time, the event has been idealized,
distorted, and misrepresented by the British, the monarchy, and every
government in Baghdad afterward. The goal of Abbas Kadhim’s Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the
Founding of the Modern State was to cut through this literature, and
represent what some of the leading participants had to say. Abbas believes 1920
marked a political revolution in Iraq where the tribes and clerics of the
Mid-Euphrates rose up to demand Iraqi independence. It can be said that they
succeeded in the short term, England gave up direct control of the country
under the Mandate, but it maintained its influence over the country for the
next 30 years via the monarchy it installed.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 26
1920 Gertrude Bell wrote that Baghdad started the 1920
Revolt but not lost control of
it when
tribes rose up and they listened to no one Baghdad did not start revolt
1988 Mujahedeen e-Khalq took 2 Iranian towns with Iraqi air
support hoping
to start
revolt against Khomeini
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
2001 Last of 4 NSC Deputies Committee meetings on revising
Iraq policy
2005 US Army interrogators testified that dogs sleep deprivation
and nudity all used on
prisoners
held at Abu Ghraib
2007 Bombing in Baghdad market killed 92
2010 ISI bombed Al Arabiya TV station
2012 Protests in Basra against lack of electricity
2014 Ansar al-Islam refused to give allegiance to IS in
Sadiya Diyala Led to fighting
between two
with IS winning
2017 Court issued arrest warrant for head of Salahaddin
council for corruption
View the Iraq History Timelines
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Silencing Protests In Iraq
(Reuters)
Prime Minister
Haidar Abadi finds himself in a precarious situation. Starting July 5 protests
started in Basra and then spread throughout the entire south and then Baghdad.
Right now he is heading a caretaker government until the election results are
certified and a new administration takes over. That means he has little
authority to meet the demands of the demonstrations, especially because many of
them require structural changes that would be a challenge to any premier. While
he has pledged to meet as many of the protesters’ wants as possible, he has
also attacked their integrity, tried to block their organizing and broken up
their gatherings.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 25
1961 Gen Qasim claimed Kuwait as
part of Iraq for 2nd time
1985 Congress agreed to State Dept request to remove Iraq
from list of states
supporting
terrorism
1990 OPEC agreed to raise oil prices and follow quotas
allaying Iraq complaints
Kuwait
and UAE overproducing and lowering prices
1990 Saddam met US Amb to Iraq
Glaspie saying he wanted meeting to be message
to Pres. Bush Saddam
said that US and Iraq didn’t have close understanding of each other that could
lead to problems and misunderstandings Claimed US was plotting against him Said
UAE and Kuwait forcing down oil prices which was an attack upon Iraq Said US
supporting Gulf States at expense of Iraq Said US had to choose sides Said that
he would not threaten Kuwait if it forgave debt agreed to OPEC quotas Saddam
said he would talk to Kuwait but would not sit and wait while Kuwait waged
economic war on Iraq Said that Gulf States refused to renegotiate Iraq’s debt
and this was conspiracy led by Kuwait Claimed he would talk with Kuwait about
dispute if they didn’t give into Iraqi demands he would act
1990 Amb Glaspie told Saddam Bush wanted better Iraq-US
relations Apologized for bad
press on Iraq Asked why Saddam had
placed troops near Kuwait border Told Saddam US had no opinion on Iraq-Kuwait border
dispute but warned not to use force
1990 Defense Special Assessment said Iraq trying to pressure
Kuwait to give into its
demands and
didn’t think it would use military force
1990 Sec of State Baker told Commerce Dept export controls
needed on US technology
going to
Iraq that could be used for weapons programs
1990 Asst Sec State for Near East Kelly cancelled interview
with Voice of America that
would have
warned Iraq about troops buildup along Kuwait border
1990 Pres Mubarak called Saddam worried about Iraq putting
troops on Kuwait border
Claimed Saddam promised not to
attack Kuwait Saddam later denied that
2003 Sadr held rally in Najaf saying that he would form his
own army to oppose
US
occupation
2003 Japan authorized largest deployment of troops since
1945 to be sent to Iraq
2005 New US Amb Khalilzad said security was his top priority
2005 Sunni members of constitutional committee ended boycott
after member assassinated
2006 Op River Falcon to secure Sayifiya south of Baghdad started
2009 KRG parliamentary elections Gorran came in second
behind KDP-PUK alliance
View the Iraq History Timelines
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Security In Iraq Jul 15-21, 2018
After a slight dip in incidents in the second week of July, things were back to their averages from July 15-21 in Iraq. The two big stories for security during the week was an explosion of attacks in Kirkuk in the middle of the week, and attempts at mass casualty bombings in Salahaddin.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 24
1915 British forces captured
Nasiriya from Ottomans
1920 British regiment driven from Kifl during 1920 Revolt
after losing 180 men killed
and 160
captured
1923 Turkey signed Treaty of Lausanne agreeing to League of
Nations
deciding
future of Mosul
(Musings
On Iraq article on how Mosul province became part of Iraq)
1986 Saddam said unwise to clash with rising Islamism in
Arab World but Iraq should
be ready to
strike against it if threatened
1986 Saddam decided to reach out to Muslim Brotherhood in
Sudan
1990 US military exercise with UAE Spokesman said US
committed to defending its
friends in the Gulf Saddam said he
felt betrayed by US forces moving through the Persian Gulf
1990 White House said it was concerned about Iraqi troop
buildup along Kuwait’s
border
1990 State Dept US had no defense treaties or special
relationship with Kuwait Did
support
Gulf States right to self defense
1991 Operation Provide Comfort II started to enforce
northern fly zone and contain
Saddam
1993 Kurds threatened retaliation if Iran didn’t stop
shelling of border region trying to
hit Iranian
Kurdish groups
2002 Kurds claimed Iraq coordinating with Ansar al-Islam and
Al Qaeda in pre-invasion
propaganda
campaign
2003 Spain Foreign Min Palacio said no evidence Iraq had a
nuclear bomb program
2004 Zalmay Khalilzad became new US ambassador to Iraq
Wanted to defeat
insurgency
not withdraw which was existing plan
(Musings
On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2004 500 marched in Sulaymaniya demanding an independent
Kurdistan
2005 Allawi’s Iraqiya threatened to boycott constitutional
commission because it wasn’t
taken
seriously the concerns of Sunni delegation
2006 Report US 4th Div carried out mass
incarcerations absued Iraqi prisoners while
stationed
in Salahaddin 03-04
2006 Report Inter Min fired all Anbar police during 2004
Battle of Fallujah and police
never
rebuilt No police in Rutba Ana Haditha few in Rawa
2008 US Amb Crocker said insurgency had lost most of its relevancy
(Musings
On Iraq article on decline of insurgency)
2008 Female suicide bomber killed Sahwa leader and 7 others
24 wounded in Baquba
(Musings
On Iraq article on Baquba suicide bombing)
2014 ISI attacked State Company for Pharmaceutical Supplies
in Ninewa to capture
bomb
supplies
2017 Ammar Hakim announced he was leaving Islamic Supreme
Council of Iraq and
forming new
Hikmah Party
View the Iraq History Timelines
Monday, July 23, 2018
Musings On Iraq In The News
Musings On Iraq was cited in "As Protests Sweep Iraq, are the Country's Political Elites Running out of Options?" by Benedict Robin-D'Cruz for the Middle East Centre Blog of The London School of Economics and Political Science. I was also quoted by Paul Iddon in "Can KRG play a positive role in any renewed Turkey-PKK peace process?" for Rudaw.
Security In Iraq Jul 8-14, 2018
There have been fluctuations in Iraq’s security situation week to week and July 8-14 was one of those down times. There were just 44 incidents during the week, which was on the low end. Also, due to the large protests that swept southern Iraq the media’s coverage of the rest of the country fell off tremendously, so there might have been some under reporting as well.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 23
1986 US briefing said that Iraq might need more US help
because facing setbacks
in
Iran-Iraq War
1987 Iraq For Min Aziz wrote UN saying Iraq welcomed
ceasefire proposal UN Res
598
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
2002 Blair cabinet meeting John Scarlett head of Joint Intel
Com said Saddam could only be
removed by
invasion
2002 Blair cabinet meeting Sir Dearlove head of MI6 said
Washington decided war was
inevitable Bush wanted to justify
invasion via terrorism and WMD Said that intelligence and facts were being used
to justify invasion
2002 Blair’s foreign policy adviser said Iraq was fourth
most dangerous country with
WMD behind
North Korea Iran and Libya
2003 Bush said deaths of Qusay and Uday Hussein showed that
the old regime was gone
and would
not return
2003 US released photos of Uday and Qusay to prove they were
killed in face of Iraqi
rumors they
were alive
2003 Bremer said only matter of time before Saddam was
captured
2008 Kurdish List got Pres Talabani to veto draft provincial
election law that
included
equal division of power in Kirkuk
(Musings
On Iraq article on veto of election law)
2012 ISI carried out 30 car bombs and other attacks across
20 cities as part of new
Breaking
Walls Campaign that killed more than 115
View the Iraq History Timelines
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Review The Iran-Iraq War
Razoux, Pierre, The
Iran-Iraq War, Cambridge
London: Belkmap Press of Harvard University Press, 2015
Pierre Razoux in The
Iran-Iraq War was able to write both a very in depth book on the conflict,
while also keeping it interesting with a series of engaging stories. That is
not always the easiest thing to do as many would have gotten lost in the
details.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 22
1920 Albu Hassan took Kifil from
British 1920 Revolt
1920 TE Lawrence wrote British
officials refused to give Iraq autonomy
1923 UK Minister to Tehran arrived in Baghdad to discuss
deportation and immigration
of Iraqi opposition figures to
Persia Iraqi govt said they could return after elections for assembly held
1929 Iraq High Commissioner Sir Gilbert Clayton said giving
Iraq concessions was best
way to maintain good relations with
Iraq and bad negotiations would have opposite effect
1931 Shiite leaders told Yasin
Hashemi they would back him for PM if they got
majority
of cabinet posts
1979 Televised session of Baath meeting Former Revolutionary
Command Council
secretary general Mashadi claimed
there was a Syrian backed coup Said Syria wanted to remove Iraqi leadership so
that two countries could unite
1979 66 accused coup plotters had names read and then taken
from Baath party meeting
Party members began praising Saddam
Accused coup plotters included 5 of 21 from Revolutionary Command Council
Former Oil Min Hadithi who helped nationalize Iraq Petroleum Company
1979 Another accused plotter Adnan Hussein al-Hamdani deputy
prime minister and
head of president’s
office who had been close aide to Saddam
1979 Court made up of 7 members of Revolutionary Command
Council created to try
66 coup
plotters
1982 Iran made second attempt to seize Basra City Turned back
1983 Iran’s Op Wa al-Fajr 2 attacked Kurdistan Seized 150 sq
mi of territory half in Iraq
KDP Dawa and Badr Brigade took part
Seized Haj Umran Sent SCIRI to set up offices in town
1988 Iraq attacked Iran on all fronts to test Iran’s
commitment to peace talks Saddam
didn’t believe Khomeini really
committed to UN Res 598 ceasefire Just wanted break and return to war
1988 Saddam also wanted one last try at victory in Iran-Iraq
War with new offensive
Iraqi forces turned back in
Kurdistan and Basra but gained 40 mi in Khuzistan province Iran
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
1992 Iraq bombed southern rebels killing 30
2002 DIA officer told to start making secret intelligence
briefings to Rumsfeld on Iraq-
Al Qaeda ties
based upon request by Deputy Def Sec Wolfowitz
2002 US Energy Dept assessed Iraq trying to buy magnets
meeting with scientists Niger
uranium
story showed that Iraq restarted nuclear program
(Musings
On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
(Musings
On Iraq article on how poor US intel work led to claim Iraq rebuilt its
nuclear weapons program)
2003 Iraqi Governing Council took office
2003 U.S. forces killed Saddam’s sons Uday and Qusay Hussein
in raid in Mosul
2003 UN report said Iraqis becoming frustrated at US plans
for returning sovereignty
because
would take too long
2003 Bush speechwriter Gerson found 2 CIA memos from Oct 02
on why Iraq-Niger
uranium story should not be used in
Bush speech Gerson’s discovery came just after White House blamed CIA Dir Tenet
for why Niger story was used in Bush’s Jan 03 State of Union
(Musings
On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
2004 Pentagon report acknowledge abuse of Iraqi prisoners
including sexual and
physical
assault and deaths
2004 9/11 report 1994 or 95 Al Qaeda and Iraqi officials met
Al Qaeda asked for aid and
training camps Iraq didn’t reply Al
Qaeda worked with Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan
2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said Maliki took no
responsibility for anything Trying to
take control of ISF Casey said
Maliki blocked 5 ops in Sadr City to protect Mahdi Army Maliki gave him list of
10 Shiite notables that could not be touched by US Sadr and aides at top of
list
2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said Maliki wanted militias to
gain more control over
Baghdad Said Shiite politicians not
serious about limiting Mahdi Army or death squads Said US forces clearing areas
in Baghdad but Iraqis couldn’t hold them
2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said US had no political
strategy for Iraq since Dec 05
elections
2006 US Iraq Amb Khalizad said Sunnis and Shiite not
accepted each other as equals not
willing to
cooperate
2006 NatSecAdv Hadley told Bush US had no security strategy
for Baghdad
2008 109,087 pardoned under Amnesty Law Govt originally
claimed only had 26,000
prisoners
(Musings
On Iraq article on Amnesty Law)
2012 ISI head Baghdadi announced it had returned to its
strongholds that it was driven
out of by
by Surge
2017 Anbar council voted 3rd and final time to
dismiss Governor Rawi on corruption
charges
View the Iraq History Timelines
Saturday, July 21, 2018
2 Killed As Protests Hit 10 Provinces In Iraq
Water cannons fired at protesters in Baghdad's Tahrir Square
July 20 protests were organized across 10 provinces, the most since they started fifteen days ago. This was after a week of declining marches due to a government crackdown. The security forces (ISF) responded by breaking up almost all the gatherings, and two people were killed as well.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 21
1933 600 Assyrians left Ninewa for Syria asking for asylum
from French because
didn't want
to be part of Iraq Were sent back
1958 Gen Qasim set up court to try “enemies of the people”
meaning officials from
monarchy
1990 Iraq announced that it had placed troops along border
with Kuwait
1991 PM Hammadi met with Barzani to try to stop fighting and
reach deal on
Kurdish
autonomy
1993 UNHCR spokesman said that 3,000 Shiites fled to Iran to
avoid Iraqi army
attacks on
villages in southern marshes
2003 UN-IOM convoy fired upon by insurgents in Babil 1st
attack on humanitarian
group in
Iraq
2003 UN Sec Gen Annan approved Iraqi Governing Council
2003 NatlSecAdv Rice called
MSBC’s Chris Matthews saying Fmr Amb Wilson’s story
on Iraq-Niger
deal was part of a political campaign against the White House Said Wilson’s
wife was open target and Wilsons were against Bush so White House against them
(Musings
On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
2003 US received intel that Uday
and Qusay Hussein were in Mosul
2005 Pentagon said half of
93,800 Iraqi police had finished basic training and were not
ready
for duty yet
(Musings
On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2005 Insurgents kidnapped 2
Algerian diplomats in Baghdad
2006 Report sectarian cleansing
going on in Baghdad’s Ghaziliya and Sadiya
neighborhoods Sunni
gunmen told Shiites to leave in Sadiya Inter Min police took away 10 Sunni men
in Ghaziliay Bodies later found
2012 ISI leader Baghdadi announced
the Breaking Walls Campaign in Iraq Was his first
online
statement Said it was new phase of jihad
2013 ISIS attacked Abu Ghraib
and Tikrit prisons Freed 500 prisoners from Abu
Ghraib
End of Breaking Walls Campaign
2017 3rd time Anbar
council attempted to remove Governor Rawi on corruption charges
2017 Fmr Salahaddin Gov Jabouri
received 2 yr prison sentence for corruption
View the Iraq History Timelines
Friday, July 20, 2018
Abadi Govt’s Carrot And Stick Approach Working With Iraq’s Protest Movement
Protest in Basra (AIN)
There were protests in three provinces on July 18, and three on July 19. Those occurred in Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Basra city and Mashreh in Maysan. Activists are trying to organize widespread protests in ten provinces for Friday, which is the day off in the Muslim world. At its peak, there were demonstrations in 9 of Iraq’s 18 governorates.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 20
1959 Gen Qasim put several Communists on trial for hand in
Jul 14 fighting
between
Kurds and Turkmen in Kirkuk
1961 Kuwait admitted to Arab League Iraq stopped working
with League as a result
because
Qasim claimed Kuwait as part of Iraq
1970 Pres Bakr attacked Communists for not accepting
Baathist leadership in govt
(Musings
On Iraq interview with Prof Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist
Party)
1987 Iraq accepted UN Res 598 calling for a ceasefire in
Iran-Iraq War Iran didn’t reject
it which
was a first
1988 Ayatollah Khomeini said that he endorsed Iran-Iraq War
ceasefire
1988 Iraq tried to add 3 more requirements to UN Res 598
ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War
including direct talks with Iran Was
meant to delay talks so Iraq could gain more territory to increase its position
(Musings
On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
1990 Pentagon report said Iraq unlikely to use force against
Kuwait
1991 KDP and PUK launched attacks in Irbil, Dohuk,
Sulaymaniya provinces UN said
Kurds had
taken large parts of Sulaymaniya Iraq accused Iran of interference
1998 US asked PUK and KDP to meet in Washington for peace
talks over civil war
2002 CIA Dir Tenet met MI6 Head Dearlove Tenet said WMD
intel didn’t matter
because war
was inevitable
2003 Sadrists protested in Najaf against US harassment
2003 Report US military teams searching for Iraq’s WMD
frustrated by not finding
anything
2003 Report Jun 02 US started campaign to use No Fly Zones
to degrade Iraq’s air
defenses to
prepare for invasion
2003 Report US intel actually knew very little about Iraq’s WMD
after UN inspectors
left in 90s
2004 Filipino driver kidnapped by insurgents Was released
after Philippines withdrew its
51 soldiers
from Iraq
2004 Blair defended Iraq war to parliament saying caveats
should have been included
in UK
dossier on Iraq WMD
2006 Bush told violence moving from insurgency to sectarian
Overwhelming Maliki
govt ISF
involved in sectarian violence
2008 Iraqi Accordance Front ended 11 month boycott of
parliament gaining no
concessions
from Maliki
(Musings
On Iraq article on Accordance Front boycott)
View the Iraq History Timelines
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Demonstrations Dwindling Amidst Govt Crackdown In Iraq
On the thirteenth day of activism in Iraq there were protests in just 3 provinces. Babil, the Shula neighborhood of Baghdad, and Basra all had demonstrations. There were also ongoing talks with the authorities. In Basra, activists gave the government three days to meet their demands. A committee in Basra’s Zubayr met with the local officials. There was talk about organizing new protests in Muthanna, and a large national gathering on Friday. At its height, people came out into the streets in 9 provinces. Since then there have been fewer and fewer because of Baghdad’s on going crackdown.
This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 19
1920 British defeated tribal
fighters at Battle of Ahrdiyat
1921 Royal Iraqi Military College opened
1988 Iraq used poison gas against Kurdish villages
1988 Iraq took Dehloran Iran 20,000 Iranian casualties 6000
captured
1991 UN complained Baghdad blocking it from helping
displaced in southern marshes
1991 Demonstration in Kurdistan over food shortages led to
police firing into crowd
Led to 2
days of fighting with 100 killed
2002 MI6 head Dearlove said US already decided on military
action to remove Saddam
talk was
now about how and when
2002 Gen Franks briefed Bush on Running Start war plan Would
have enough forces
in theater
for 100,000 to start operations
2003 On defensive over not finding WMD White House released
parts of 02 National
Intel Est
that Iraq was rebuilding its WMD and nuke programs
2003 US began asking UN for help in Iraq after it spurned
its role immediately before
and after
invasion
2004 Carnegie pre-2002 US intel on Iraq WMD generally good
02-03 reporting became
more certain beyond evidence Bush
admin misrepresented threat posed by Iraq WMD and nuke program UN inspectors proved
accurate that Iraq didn’t have WMD or nuke programs nor stocks
2005 US complained to Iran about supplying EFPs to militias
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of
Arkenstone blog on on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
2005 2 Sunni members of constitutional committee Issa and
Obeidi were assassinated
Sunni
delegation suspended work afterward
2005 Iraq-Iran signed deal for Iraq to export 150,000
bar/day of oil to Iranian refinery
in Abadan
and send refined products back to Iraq
2006 Report Iraqi govt told civilians in Baghdad to check
IDs of ISF to make sure they
were real
not death squads or insurgents
2006 NSC memo Maliki govt struggling to implement policy and
deal with security
Said Interior Min making violence
worse Called for review of US Iraq strategy Suggested troop increase might be
necessary
2008 Gen Petraeus said Al Qaeda was changing focus from Iraq
to Afghanistan
(Musings
On Iraq article on decline of insurgency)
2017 Salahaddin Gov Jabouri arrested over corruption charges
View the Iraq History Timelines
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